Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-28

| momentous day l knew that her opin-
ion had not changed; and could she
have been vested with despotic power,
| verify believe she would have placed
Mr.. Sands in close arrest, with senti-
mel at his door, to insure his due APP
pearance at the time and place.
To her utter astonishment-to the in
finite relief of herself and the other
ladies of the house. the couple were
married, punctually and decorously,
without the least hitch or hindrance,
the boarders looking on approvingly
and congratulating sincerely.
When the customary forerunners of
domestic expenses TO come, old shoes
and rice, had been flung after the new
ly-wedded, l remarked in grand and
patronizing way:
''Now, my dear Maria-and you,
ladies, if may venture-let this be n
warning to you. Don't pass hasty
judgment on a man again; don't let
your i'll opinion Of the sex collectively
lead you to do injustice to an individu-
al member of it,.
There is something about il that l
don't understand" said Maria, reflect
lively and humbly. 1--WE may hear
more of them"
So hard it is for woman to give up!
Five years passed. We had never
again seen Mr.. or Mrs. Sands; and, ex-
ccpt some indefinite information that
they had settled in the West, we had
heard nothing of them.
Making n long business tour, on a
crowded street late one afternoon,
was stopped by the man himself. Save
an increase of gravity in his demeanor
and of gray in his hair, he was little
changed. Following the usual
salutations was about to inquire after
his wife, when he urgently invited me
to go home with him..
This is no biddi ,g of mere form OF
courtesy" he said, with earnestness.
Il really want TO sec and talk with
youp Do comet
had the time. / should have been
tempted to go, anyway. He took me a
Mt an imposing stone mansion. What
l saw inside in the line of finish, fur
niture, pictures and ornaments con-
vinced me that the report of the mans
wealth was well founded. Our desul-
tory talk before dinner impressed me
with his unbrokcn seriousness. At the
head of the table sat an elderly lady,
whom he presented as his housekeeper.
Swift surnises of separation and
divorce ran through my brain. when
splendid full-length oil-painting, the
like of which we do not often sec in
these degenerate days of sun-pictures,
attracted my eye. 1t was a. portrait of
Mrs. Sands. so life-liko that l must
lave stared long Mt it, And he had
not yet named her to me! Determin-
ing TO take the risk, l remarked that
there was wonderful picture of Mrs,
Sands-and was she welp My host
laid down knife aud fork, aud turned
ness.
II should have told YOU" he said.
"She died two years ago MY dear,
lost Matida!"
Overcome with emotion, he excused
himself, and left the table
HE never mentioned her TO NO."
said the housekecper. They say her
death almost killed him."
AT the earnest request of Mr.. Sands,
/ remained most of the next day with
him. He seemed to be perfectly wrap
ped up in the memory of his dead. He
wanted me to tell him about her as she
was before he returned; to repeat how
patient, how industrious she was, how
cheerful and how much we all admired
her. Before leaving him, l felt free to
pay him compliment that l thought
we'll deserved.
'Mr Sands, your devotion to your
excellent wife, and your attachment to
her memory do you honor. From your
first appearance at the clearinghouse,
l thought you were this kind of q man;
though there were those who thought
differently"
1t was delicate thing to say; but he
understood me thoroughly.
81 suppose you mean," he quietly
observed, that your wife and the
other ladies thought me unwilling to
marry Matilda. and expected me to
break with herp'
"Well, yes-something of that sort
But of course, they were all wrong"
"On the contrary, they were entirely
right"
pass the expressions of amazcment
with which received this candid con-
fcssion. The man seemed struggling
with something not unlike pcnitcnco